I ain't tellin' anyone anythin' even if I knew who they were.
[Vicious picks up a potion, but he has not been directly responsible for healing his Pokemon thus far, so he doesn't really know how items work. He looks between the potions and his Pokemon a few times... Litten is also presumably still paralyzed.]
"If you're feeling confused—" He pulls out, instead, a large container of Full Restore. "Just apply a bit of this to every Pokemon who's injured, and they should be as good as new."
What, really? Why didn't just start with the good stuff, then?
[Vicious grins and takes the Full Restore. Litten gets the first bit of it, then Sneasels, and eventually he works his way through all his newer friends.]
He smiles without answering the question. He was reluctant to part with merchandise that expensive, but not reluctant enough to avoid doing it when pressed, when he's already got everything he wanted. You are freely given enough to heal everyone!
[Nice. Vicious grins in satisfaction as he replaces Litten on his head.]
...Awright! Guess we're ready to go!
[Then his expression falters as he remembers he has no idea what happens after this. He's not really worried about a big climactic confrontation. But without remembering anything BUT this, it gives him a weird empty feeling to think about it concluding.
He decides not to think about that too hard, and turns to the final ascent.]
Litten purrs and licks a bit of your hair, trying to be reassuring.
The ruins of the temple are just a short walk away. At the peak of Mount Coronet, you appear at the ruins of a once-grand temple. Now having been recently destroyed, the broken pillars jut like spears into the sky. Rubble strewn across the ground resembles broken fragments of statues of Pokemon. But there is one single statue that has been miraculously spared—or is it rebuilt? It is an elegant stone statue of a Sneasler. (It matches the one on the Progressive Line platform.)
Instinctively, you realize... if you play an Azure Flute in this place, then your journey will enter the final stage. There will be no turning back after that.
Edited (i somehow accidentally hit post comment while rewindowing to paste the extra info) 2023-04-12 17:11 (UTC)
Sneasler has been following along. She is starting to get a little nervous about what they're approaching, although she's playing it off, and it doesn't seem all that extreme. She just has a bit of an anxious tinge as she does her smug routine, flipping her feather behind her shoulder.
Irida's flute was of a different style. But it looked simple enough—put your fingers on holes and breathe through it. You will find, if you try to play it, that something guides your actions to play a tune perfectly.
You rise above the clouds towards the stars, as if walking on an aurora. The platform you eventually reach has strange shapes drawn across it, their meaning unknown to you.
The divine Pokemon, Arceus, is standing at the other end of this platform.
"I am the Original One. Thou hast lost thy memories... in the same fashion as the human Ingo. Thy world is not of my creation. But those memories thou hast lost within this world are within my grasp. I wonder... Seekest thou these memories once again?"
Most of the Pokemon seem quietly awed by Arceus. Sneasler seems to understand the full gravity of what she is experiencing, being the only other one in this audience who is truly real. She bows her head with an awkward tension, though this gesture is ignored for the time being.
[Vicious considers this for a moment, sliding his hands behind his head and then absently petting Litten.]
If you're askin' if I'm here lookin' for 'em, I ain't. I don't like the idea of somethin' bein' taken from me and chasin' after it just 'cause everyone's actin' like I should be missin' it.
...But I do got some questions I want answered. You plannin' on makin' me an offer?
"I can only speak to the most recent loss. This is not the first time thy memories have sunk into the abyss. The human Ingo lost his memories when he Fell. Through a strange quirk of fate, when thou traveled here, inside his mind, to relive his experiences... this was one of the experiences that befell thee. Now, thy memories are with his, scattered and buried in the fog."
"They know not that thou art here in this predicament. They are on their own quests, oblivious to thy plight. But if thy memories are in the same place, they can be returned almost as easily as his."
"Through these battles, thou hast forged bonds with many Pokemon... These bonds can be utilized. Through battle, thou canst show me thy determination, while strengthening the power of those very bonds. Both thee and thy Pokemon companions can prove yourselves together."
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[Vicious picks up a potion, but he has not been directly responsible for healing his Pokemon thus far, so he doesn't really know how items work. He looks between the potions and his Pokemon a few times... Litten is also presumably still paralyzed.]
...How much do I need...?
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[Vicious grins and takes the Full Restore. Litten gets the first bit of it, then Sneasels, and eventually he works his way through all his newer friends.]
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...Awright! Guess we're ready to go!
[Then his expression falters as he remembers he has no idea what happens after this. He's not really worried about a big climactic confrontation. But without remembering anything BUT this, it gives him a weird empty feeling to think about it concluding.
He decides not to think about that too hard, and turns to the final ascent.]
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The ruins of the temple are just a short walk away. At the peak of Mount Coronet, you appear at the ruins of a once-grand temple. Now having been recently destroyed, the broken pillars jut like spears into the sky. Rubble strewn across the ground resembles broken fragments of statues of Pokemon. But there is one single statue that has been miraculously spared—or is it rebuilt? It is an elegant stone statue of a Sneasler. (It matches the one on the Progressive Line platform.)
Instinctively, you realize... if you play an Azure Flute in this place, then your journey will enter the final stage. There will be no turning back after that.
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When he comes into sight of the Sneasler statue, he turns to actual Sneasler to check that she's still tagging along.]
Real popular lady, ain't ya?
[And he takes out the flute to look it over as he tries to remember how Irida played hers.]
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Irida's flute was of a different style. But it looked simple enough—put your fingers on holes and breathe through it. You will find, if you try to play it, that something guides your actions to play a tune perfectly.
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...Well, nothin' else to do but to do it, yeah?
[It's still another moment before he finally raises the flute to his lips and plays it.]
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After you play the tune, a shining, translucent staircase appears, leading up into the sky.
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[Surely God should be coming down to fight him? Somehow that seems more familiar...
Either way, Vicious ascends the stairs.]
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The divine Pokemon, Arceus, is standing at the other end of this platform.
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Heeeeh... So you're the big boss, huh?
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Most of the Pokemon seem quietly awed by Arceus. Sneasler seems to understand the full gravity of what she is experiencing, being the only other one in this audience who is truly real. She bows her head with an awkward tension, though this gesture is ignored for the time being.
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[Vicious considers this for a moment, sliding his hands behind his head and then absently petting Litten.]
If you're askin' if I'm here lookin' for 'em, I ain't. I don't like the idea of somethin' bein' taken from me and chasin' after it just 'cause everyone's actin' like I should be missin' it.
...But I do got some questions I want answered. You plannin' on makin' me an offer?
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"I may see fit to answer thy questions. Ask, and I shall determine the weight of my answer," says Arceus, tilting its head back regally.
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But everyone's here gettin' 'em back for him, right?
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[As strange as it seems, Vicious feels like it was. His brow furrows.]
...Either way, there ain't no one fetchin' mine.
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[Vicious huffs]
Yeah? How's that? If it's battlin', I've already been doin' plenty o' that.
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